Dear Neighbors,
I am horrified by the recent mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Too many young lives have been stolen by gun violence.
Yesterday morning I had to explain an elementary school shooting to my two children, who are nine and seven years old, because I didn't want them to hear about what happened in Texas from another student. This is not normal. This is not acceptable. And this is not inevitable.
We don't have to live with this senseless violence. No parent should hug their elementary school-aged child in the morning and fear for their safety. No kindergartner should have to know what a lockdown drill is.
In my time in the Minnesota House, I have consistently supported common-sense gun safety legislation, such as red flag laws and universal background checks. Both of those bills passed the Minnesota House in 2020 with my support but failed to even get a vote in the Minnesota Senate. I will continue to fight for these reasonable measures.
End of Session
After months of meetings and long hours of debate, the 2022 session has ended. There remains much work to be completed. We’re very close on several agreements, including on education, health care, transportation, and taxes, and now is the time to finish our work on behalf of Minnesotans.
I am pushing for a special session. Frankly, it is unacceptable to leave so much undone. Among the items that were included in the budget agreements but not yet passed into law:
- Complete elimination of the tax on Social Security benefits. I am a co-author of this bill, and it has been a priority of mine since being elected in 2018.
- A $1 billion reduction in the so-called “special education cross subsidy.” This money would fund mandates that local school districts currently pay for by raising property taxes.
- Matching funds for roads and bridges necessary to unlock federal funds authorized in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed Congress last year. Without appropriating these funds, millions of dollars in federal money could potentially be given to other states.
This is just a small sample of the bills that were left on the table. I am committed to getting the job done and will continue to advocate for compromise and results.
Despite all this, we were able to accomplish a great deal for Minnesotans. Here is an article from Star Tribune detailing what we got done. I will continue working to advance policies that improve people’s lives.
White-Collar Crime Enforcement
Public safety isn't just about violent crime, we also need to hold white-collar criminals accountable. Fraud, labor trafficking, wage theft, and other financial crimes are severely under-enforced in Minnesota. One of my priorities this year was to create a statewide, white-collar law enforcement agency. I am proud to report that we got the job done. You can read more about my successful effort to empower the Commerce Fraud Bureau to investigate and enforce white-collar criminal laws in this article from the Minnesota Reformer.
Liquor Agreement
Yesterday, Governor Walz signed my bill HF2767 into law at Alloy Brewing in Coon Rapids. This bill will help Minnesota craft breweries and distilleries grow and thrive by modernizing our state’s liquor laws. It frees the growler, lifts the cap on cocktail rooms, gives small breweries and distilleries the opportunity to sell directly to their consumers, and creates a first-of-its-kind “social district” in historic downtown Anoka. This bill is an agreement resulting from months of work with stakeholders from all over our state and all corners of the liquor industry. I’m proud that it's been signed into law, and was thrilled to welcome the Governor to our community.
Order Your Free Covid-19 Test Kits
Some good news in our fight against Covid-19! The United States Postal Service has opened up orders for the third round of rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. Your order will come in two boxes of four (each with separate tracking numbers), and ship completely free.
I encourage all of you to order your free tests at https://special.usps.com/testkits. We all have a role in combating the virus.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime if you need assistance or have questions at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn or 651-296-5513.
It’s an honor to represent our Coon Rapids and Champlin families in St. Paul.
Sincerely,
Rep. Zack Stephenson
Minnesota House of Representatives | District 36A